The specific aim of this proposal is to provide an efficient synthetic route to the natural products identified as Communesins A and B. This class of compounds has been shown to have cytotoxic activity against leukemia cells by disrupting the microfilaments of cell walls. To date there are no reported syntheses of these compounds. The proposed research involves exploration of well established palladium C-C bond forming reactions to provide the core structure of the Communesins. This will serve to investigate the potential of the palladium chemistry while delivering the desired target. Obtaining the target will permit further studies into the cytotoxicity of the compounds, structure activity relationships, as well as provide access to analogues for drug design. [unreadable] [unreadable]